Ahead...naughty talk and innuendo during dinner. Originally, I thought this chapter may earn the story's M rating, but that will be chapter 4.

After Dan and Sabrina were seated at a private table in the back of the restaurant and had had a couple minutes to look over their menus, he ordered for them in French. She was caught off guard by it even though she had heard him do a number of voices and accents in the courtroom (which just added to his attractiveness, in her opinion), but listening to the French words roll off of his tongue so easily made her wonder what else his tongue could do so easily.

"I didn't know you could speak French."

"Oui oui!" he said with a laugh. "And, I am from Louisiana. It's our second language. It was in the area where I grew up, anyway."

"It's very – uh – effective," she told him, reaching for her napkin and placing it across her lap.

Dan lifted one eyebrow in interest as he gazed at her across the small table, adjusting the knot of his tie. "Effective, you say? Just – um – how effective are we talking here?"

With her elbows on the table, Sabrina rested her chin on the tops of her fingers where she laced them together. He wasn't the only one who could be brazen. With an unwavering stare, she answered cheekily, "I should have brought extra knickers."

Dan's jaw immediately dropped which surprised her. She didn't think anything could shock him, especially not of a sexual nature, but she decided to change the subject for both their benefits.

"So, do you come here often?"

"I might right now," he mumbled, his eyes shifting to the side and then down before answering her. "I – uh – I have been here a few times. It's one of my favorites."

"Why do you look guilty? It's just a restaurant."

She could tell that he was debating on how to answer the question by the neutral expression on his face. "I guess maybe because I've been trying very hard to treat you differently than other…lady friends," he finally said. "But I have brought a few others here."

"You said it was one of your favorites, so why wouldn't you bring them here?" she asked gently. When he looked down at the table and shrugged, Sabrina smiled. Dan Fielding was a dichotomy if she ever saw one. The small glimpses of his vulnerability were endearing. There was more to him than what he showed, and she found herself wanting to learn more about his hidden side. "I'm not looking for any special treatment here, you know. I just want you to be you."

He laughed, sort of embarrassed, and shook his head as he looked down at the table and played with his silverware. "No, you don't want that, trust me. It gets me into all sorts of trouble."

"I'm not talking about the version that you parade around in front of everyone," she clarified. "I'm talking about the one that you keep hidden away. He exists; I've seen him."

"The other one's more likable," he said quietly.

Even though Sabrina had told herself that Dan would just be 'fun' over her vacation, she was beginning to think that he could be more, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She pushed it aside temporarily. "Why don't you let me decide?"

Their table was relatively private – enclosed by three floor-to-ceiling walls – and they were sitting in a U-shaped booth. She guessed that it and the others like it had to be reserved special. Originally, they sat across from each other at the cozy table, but Sabrina decided to slide around so that she could be closer to Dan, moving her glasses and silverware, too.

"You don't mind, do you?"

"You could sit in my lap, and I wouldn't mind."

He had a way of dropping his voice an octave when he was being naughty, and it did things to her. The penetrating gaze that went with it didn't help matters any, either. Thankful that her blush wasn't noticeable in the dim light around them, Sabrina replied, "That does sound fun."

Dan moaned quietly and bit his lip. "Mmm…don't tease," he murmured. His twinkling eyes and smirk seemed to say the opposite, however.

Sabrina reached over and covered his hand with hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I think you know that I'm not," she replied. There was no question that she wanted him and planned on having him.

Both were saved when their food arrived.

They chatted about random subjects throughout dinner. Dan knew a lot about many different things, and Sabrina found it easier and easier to talk to him as time went on. Having that mental connection made her even more attracted to him than she already was. Even though she was usually only looking for a 'friend with benefits' type situation, great communication still turned her head quicker than anything else. She surmised that Dan was much the same way – at least, it seemed like it with her – because he acted like he enjoyed their talks as much as she did.

After dinner was cleared away, Dan spoke to the waiter in French again.

"What did you say?"

"I ordered dessert."

"But I'm right here," Sabrina said coquettishly, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner.

Dan's eyes narrowed as he moaned quietly at her playful response. "Mmm…and I have such a witty reply to that."

"You mean a naughty reply."

He shrugged. "What's the difference?"

Sabrina leaned towards him. "Whisper it in my ear."

When Dan leaned over, she could smell his shampoo and feel the warmth of his breath against her ear, causing her inner thigh muscles to contract. Again.

"My reply was going to be that your sugar is probably the sweetest of all and that I can't wait to taste it."

Sabrina could not stop the soft sigh that fell from her lips as they leaned back to their normal seated positions, their eyes meeting once more in a heated gaze. His deep voice – even deeper than normal – and his sinful words caressing the shell of her ear with the added visual of his head between her legs rendered her speechless. And if she was correct about the hungry look that he was giving her, he was imagining the same thing.

Then their dessert arrived, and both were relieved.

"I haven't had crème brulee in years." She licked her lips as she reached for her spoon. Dan grabbed it first.

"May I feed you a bite?"

"Sure." Sabrina watched as he slowly sliced through the soft dessert – getting just the perfect amount – and then lifted the spoon to her mouth.

"Open for me," he requested, his voice a husky whisper.

Sabrina swallowed, wondering what he was referring to exactly as she wanted to open quite a few things for him…namely her thighs. She finally opened her mouth enough for him to gently slide the spoon in. She closed her lips around the metal as he removed it, their eyes never straying from the other's.

"Mmm...that's really good," she said as the sugary dessert dissolved in her mouth.

Dan looked pained. "Yes, it was. I might need a moment."

Sabrina blushed and took her spoon back. "Can I return the favor?"

She noticed that he shifted where he sat and looked down briefly. "Sabrina, I'm so – uh – I mean…maybe a rain check on that would be best."

As they sat quietly finishing their crème brulee, Sabrina couldn't stop herself from fantasizing about crawling under the table and having a very different dessert.

"May I at least ride back to your hotel with you?" Dan asked as they waited for a cab just outside of the restaurant entrance.

Sabrina knew what she'd told him about going home alone after their dinner, but she wasn't ready for their evening to end. "Yes. That would be nice."

When the cab pulled up to her hotel, Dan got out first and then extended a gloved hand to help her from the back of the cab. He didn't let go as they stood on the sidewalk by the car.

Sabrina was grinning as she gazed up at him. She knew this would happen. She'd told herself that the dinner would be it and then that the cab ride back would be the end to their night, but she was finding it impossible to walk away from him. She was drawn to Dan physically and intellectually, and she wasn't sure which of those was dominating her mind at the moment.

"Did I say thank you for dinner?" she asked.

"A couple times. The pleasure was all mine, trust me."

Sabrina's heart began to pound as she looked at the hotel and then at Dan, her hand still in his. She saw no reason to deny herself and decided to leave the choice up to him. "I know what I said before about returning to my room alone," she began hesitantly. "But – um – I thought…would you like to come up?" She put her free hand up quickly. "But not for that! I just…uh…want to spend some time with you. Alone."

"I'd like that," he answered with a huge grin, shoving his hand in his pocket for cash. "Let me pay the cabbie."

A minute later, they were headed inside, tugging off gloves and scarves as they stepped into the elevator. Sabrina was surprisingly nervous as she exchanged glances with Dan. It had been a long time since a man had made her feel like that. She liked it. Too much.

Once they reached her room, Sabrina shuffled in her purse for her key card. Her hand was a little shaky as she slid it in and out of the slot which kept giving her a red light. It was only the second time she'd ever used a card – her previous hotel stays had still utilized actual keys – and, apparently, she needed more practice with it.

Suddenly, Dan's warm hand covered hers as he stood close behind her. "Gently," he murmured. "You can't just jam it in."

Sabrina's cheeks flushed as she finally opened the door with his help. She told herself that she was nuts for inviting him up because she knew that she had no willpower. And the fact that he wasn't acting cocky and sure of himself like he did in front of others only encouraged her. She asked herself why she wasn't happily pouncing on him right then if he was just supposed to be 'fun', but she had no answer.

"Want some wine?" she asked, willing away the pounding in her chest as she set her purse and accessories on the bed and then shrugged off her coat tossing it to the bed, too.

"Yes, please," Dan answered, dropping his winter accoutrements to the bed beside hers. "Look at that…our clothes are starting without us."

Sabrina laughed as she fetched two glasses and poured the wine. "Hmm. They must be a little kinky that way. They like to be watched. I think that makes us voyeurs."

Dan laughed and shook his head, dimples showing in his boyish smile as he took the glass from her. "You know, something tells me that you're just as naughty as me. You just hide it better."

Sabrina simply shrugged, not confirming or denying anything. "I'm changing clothes. Why don't you turn on the TV?"

"Mind if I get more comfy, too?"

"Fine, but your pants stay on," she told him, pointing to them for emphasis.

Dan pouted as Sabrina closed the bathroom door behind her with a giggle.

When Sabrina came out a few minutes later, having changed into jeans and a sweater, Dan stood, wiggled his hips and said, "My turn. Wanna help?"

"Oh God," she said laughing. "No!"

"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug.

Sabrina settled on the couch and flipped through channels. She stopped when she saw It's a Wonderful Life. Maybe they could watch that.

When Dan joined her a few minutes later, he immediately noticed. "Oh good, and it just started, too," he commented, joining her on the couch. "Do you want to watch it?"

"Definitely."

Fifteen minutes later, Sabrina was casting sideways glances at Dan. His coat, vest and tie were gone, and his shirt had three buttons undone. He looked handsome. He looked relaxed. Hell, who was she kidding – he looked sexy, and she wanted to straddle him on the couch and ride him like a wild, bucking horse in a western corral.

She gave him credit, though – he was completely behaving himself, and she was certain that that was something not the norm for him. She recognized that he was making a grand effort to be good, and in a twisted way, it made her want to be bad. He was right – she was very similar to him as far as his attitude towards all things sexual, and she did hide it well.

When the next commercial break started, Sabrina remarked, "You know, I'm surprised at you. Been in my room almost twenty minutes and haven't tried one cheesy move on me yet."

Dan lifted his eyebrows in surprise and then smirked. "Well, I most certainly don't want to disappoint you." He paused for just a few seconds before faking a loud yawn, stretching his arm up and then landing it behind her shoulders on the couch.

"Seriously?" she asked, trying not to laugh. "That's it?"

"Almost," he said, slipping his hand to close over the curve of her shoulder. "There. That do it for you?"

Turning her head to look at him and realizing that it was the closest they'd been face to face, Sabrina tried to ignore the butterflies swarming in her stomach. The smile slowly slipped away as she wondered what he would do if she leaned over and kissed him. She glanced at his mouth and licked her lips.

"Surprisingly yes," she answered quietly. When his gentle eyes met hers, she gave him a small smile before scooting closer to him, the sides of his body warm against hers. His presence, while large and animated on one hand, was also relaxed and comfortable on the other. It's as if he was a completely different person out of the courtroom.

They were fairly quiet for the remainder of the movie. Sabrina was content to stay pressed against him, and he only moved his arm away from her shoulders because it was falling asleep. (He ended up sitting on the other side of her so that he could use his other arm.)

As they sat, Dan would occasionally squeeze Sabrina's shoulder or hug her to him. It made her smile every time. When she'd met him initially, she'd assumed that he'd be a bit more assertive with his physical attentions – he certainly was with his words – but she was learning that that was wrong. While she was sure that he could be brutally forward with his wants, he could also, apparently, be a gentleman.

When the movie ended, neither moved.

"That was nice," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder and breathing deeply. She was just so very comfortable.

Dan slid his hand up and down the outside of her arm as he leaned his head against hers. "One of the best nights that I've had in a long time."

"And without sex."

"Shocker, I know."

They both laughed quietly.

"Stay with me tonight." The words were out of Sabrina's mouth before she even had time to think about them. Her pulse started racing as she looked at him for his response to her impetuous request.

Dan shifted sideways to stare at her with wide eyes. "What?"

Sabrina thought that she'd better elaborate. "Not for that…not yet…I just – "

"I'd love to," he said quickly, sincerity bright in his eyes as he reached for her hand. "I know that I come off like a guy who can't keep it in his pants, but I assure you I can."

She shifted her hand to thread her fingers in between his. "I believe you."

Dan lifted their joined fingers to his mouth and pressed his lips to her hand. "I will behave up to the second that you say you're ready, and then all bets are off."

Sabrina saw the playful glint in his eyes and laughed quietly. "Come on then…let's go to bed."

He smirked and lifted one eyebrow. "Thought you'd never ask."

Sabrina headed for the bathroom first, grabbing her pajamas along the way. She hadn't planned on asking him to stay – hell, she hadn't planned on him coming up to start with – but thankfully, she didn't regret her decisions. And he didn't make her feel uneasy; that was important. Hopefully, this would be the first night of many with him.

When she walked out of the bathroom in her black satin pajamas (which was a spaghetti strap camisole and pants set), Dan's gaze crawled up and down her. "Please tell me that's what you were wearing the first time I called you."

"Indeed it was," she confirmed, moving their coats and scarves to the couch. "You like?"

Dan grinned and nodded. "Oh me likey," he said, but then he looked uncertain. "Um…I don't have pajamas, though, and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. Are boxers all right?"

"That's perfect."

After he closed the bathroom door behind him, Sabrina unmade the bed and turned off the TV and all of the lights except the one by what would be his side of the king size bed. Fighting the urge to pace around the room, she slid under the sheets, suddenly not feeling tired at all. She was going to share a bed with Dan – how could she possibly go to sleep? Her mind drifted back to the question of why she was waiting to be with him in the first place. Sex was no big deal to her; she'd had plenty of friends with benefits, yet she still had no answer.

It was only a couple more minutes before Dan came out carrying his dress shirt. He still wore his undershirt and slacks as he walked around to the other side of the bed. Sabrina rolled towards him and watched as he took off his pants and then sat down all in one motion.

As Dan slipped under the sheets, he reached up to turn the lamp off.

"I have to say," he began as he got settled beside her. "I had not planned on staying here. It's quite a surprise. Thank you."

"I hadn't planned it, either. It just felt right."

"I'll try to stay on my side."

Sabrina bit her lip as they lay in the dark. "Well…if we end up crossing the midpoint a little, I think that might be all right."

She was already close to the center of the bed when Dan shifted closer.

"May I hold your hand again?"

"Do you always ask?"

"Since it's dark, if I start feeling around, I might end up grabbing more than your hand."

Sabrina laughed as she reached forward, finding his hand on the mattress between them and lacing her fingers with his.

"Good night Dan," she whispered.

"Good night Sabrina."

A few hours later, Sabrina woke. It was still dark, so it wasn't morning sun that roused her from sleep. It only took a second or two longer for her to realize why she was awake. Dan had rolled over so that his chest was against her back and had draped his arm over her waist in his sleep. It made her heart skip a beat, and she breathed deeply. With a contented smile on her face, she fell back to sleep in a few minutes.

Apparently, Dan and Sabrina didn't move again until morning because movement woke her once more. He was removing his arm from her – probably assuming that she would be mad – so she quickly stopped him.

"It's okay," she whispered, happy when he snuggled against her, tightening his hold. His body seemed to fit perfectly against hers, and she couldn't wait to test that theory fully.

"Morning." His deep voice was raspy from sleep, and it caused a certain part of her body to awaken instantly.

"Sleep well?"

"Like a baby. Hmm. I think that means that I get to breast feed," he teased. "Which one first? Right or left?"

When he gave her a quick squeeze, she laughed and shook her head. "You wake up 'on', don't you?"

Sabrina felt him shrug behind her. "Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. But I did spend the night with a most beautiful woman, so – "

"That's funny. I spent the night with a very handsome man."

"Mmm…flattery will get you everywhere," he told her, nuzzling her hair and neck, making her giggle.

"What were your plans today?"

Dan yawned before he spoke. "Well, Sunday is usually my stay at home day…you know…read the paper, pay some bills, do laundry…all that boring, domestic stuff."

"Oh…okay."

"I'm open to better ideas, though."

Sabrina ran her fingertips along his forearm still over her waist. "I don't want to disrupt your routine. You deserve a day to yourself."

"I'd be happy to spend more time with you if you're up for it," he said, shifting his hips away from hers. "I know I am."

Sabrina smiled again, knowing that he was trying to be respectful and not press his 'morning wood' against her. "Well, since you're up for it, maybe we could go to the park and walk around. Get lunch perhaps. I like museums – maybe one of those?"

"That all sounds great to me. Just one thing."

"What?"

"I need more clothes."

"Valid point. How about you go get some – maybe pay a couple bills or something – and then come back. Are you far from here?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"So it's a plan then?"

"Definitely – except I don't want to move."

"Me either. But we have to. Care for coffee? The stuff here in the room isn't too bad."

"Coffee would be wonderful."

Sabrina slipped from bed to make a quick bathroom visit and then started on the coffee while Dan took his turn.

By the time he came out, the coffee was done, and Sabrina was sitting on the couch with her mug.

Dan was dressed again in his slacks and dress shirt, and she couldn't stop staring at him. Even with mussed hair and stubble, she wanted to scale him like hikers climbing up Mount Everest, and she really wanted to crawl back in bed and snuggle all day. He was a great snuggler.

"Yours is on the table over there."

"Thank you." Dan added cream and sugar to it before joining Sabrina on the couch.

"In case I forget to tell you, I'm having a very nice time."

Dan wiggled his eyebrows. "It gets better."

Sabrina grinned. "I bet it does."

About twenty minutes later when they'd finished their coffee, Dan set his mug down and stood.

"So I'll be back by eleven?"

"Yes, that sounds good," she said following him to the door. "Um – you work tomorrow, right?"

"I do." He stopped at the door and faced her.

Sabrina stood close and looked up at him. The time had come.

"Maybe you could bring some – um – extra clothes with you?"

His eyes widened. "I'm staying tonight?"

"I would like it," she said with a little shrug. "If it's all right with you."

"It's very all right with me," he said excitedly. "Like I'd say no."

Dan reached for her hands, and he brought each one up to his mouth to kiss, causing her cheeks to turn pink. He was quite a charmer.

"Hurry up and leave then so you can get back," she said, opening the door and playfully pushing him out.

Dan left with a wink and a wave.

When Sabrina shut the door, she did a quick happy dance. She hadn't been that excited in years.

At ten-fifty, there was a knock on the hotel room door. Sabrina – who'd been pacing for the past ten minutes – hurried to open it.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed when she saw the one dozen red roses – complete with glass vase – in Dan's hand. "You shouldn't have!"

"Of course I should have," he insisted, walking past her with a suit bag and smaller leather satchel. "You deserve them."

Sabrina took the vase, admiring the flowers while he put away his things. "They're beautiful, Dan. Thank you."

"Oh you'll thank me," he teased, giving her a quick wink.

"Ha ha," she remarked, putting them on the table beside the coffee maker. "I'm ready for lunch."

"Me, too. Let's go."

They had lunch at a café not far from the park. Conversation centered around Broadway shows that he'd seen, which fascinated Sabrina. He was much more 'cultured' than she thought he'd be. Most men that she'd known had little interest in such things.

"Would you like to see a show while you're here?"

"Hell yes! More than one, if possible," Sabrina answered excitedly. "I've always wanted to see a Broadway show.

"All right then. Pick one, and I'll get tickets."

It was a short walk to the park, and Dan stopped at a cart to buy them some hot chocolate. When they began walking again, he reached for her hand.

Sabrina smiled at him as they laced their fingers together. She couldn't wait to get back to the hotel.

They spent about four hours in the park walking around and chatting, deciding to do a museum another day. Sabrina felt like she spent half the time staring at Dan's mouth and the other half trying to rub her thighs together in an effort to scratch an itch that he was causing. She couldn't take any more.

"How about Chinese take out?"

"I love Chinese," Dan said, holding her hand as they left the park.

There was a Chinese place around the corner from the hotel, so they stopped there before heading back to her room.

Once inside, Dan started to sort through the food, pulling out multiple cartons from the paper bag.

Sabrina could wait no longer, licking her lips and breathing deeply before saying, "Dan, I want to – um – start with dessert first."

He looked over everything that they'd purchased and frowned. "I don't think we bought any – " And then it hit him. He nearly dropped his carton of food, slamming it down to the table exaggeratedly and turning towards her with big, hopeful eyes. "Are you – you mean – "

Sabrina smiled and nodded. "I don't want to wait any longer. But if you do that touchdown dance that you did in the courtroom a few days ago, you'll be having dessert by yourself."

He squared his shoulders, feigned seriousness and said, "Just know that I'm doing it internally."

She shook her head and laughed. He could always make her laugh. "I'm going to shower. Be out soon."

Once she closed the bathroom door behind her, Sabrina did her own version of the touchdown dance. Finally.

I agree...FINALLY. Well...for next chapter, anyway. I do enjoy playing with these two. Thanks for reviews, follows & favorites! They mean the world!